Happy Endings
by alemica2
Summary: Taylor Portman comes to town and doesn't like seeing her older brother, Dean, hurting over Julie Gaffney. She decides to use her matchmaking skills to break up Julie and Scooter but finds she's got herself into something she's not sure she can handle. AU
1. The First Day

**A/N: Okay, so, I know the last thing I should doing right now is starting a new story since I already have 3 others in the works but I can't help it. After watching the trailer for Easy A (yeah, it's a teen movie) and wanting to write an Adam story for forever, I came up with this idea. I already have the first five chapters written but I was a bit hesitant to post them because this story is very... _different. _I really hope you all like it though, because I'm loving it and I can't stop writing more. It does involve an OC of mine but I tried my best not to go all Mary Sue, because she's far from perfect. Anyways, let me know what you think & if I should continue in a review!**

* * *

Taylor Portman sat in the driver's seat of her silver convertible, staring in the mirror. She dabbed a bit more powder on her nose and took a deep breath, getting ready to make her grand entrance into Eden Hall Academy. Now that her mother, Kelly Portman-Harrison, had married Richard Harrison, she and her brother, Dean, could finally afford to go to Eden Hall without a scholarship.

Taylor's new "daddy" had bought her the car, in hopes of winning her over but Taylor wasn't impressed. She hated sports cars but she was just glad she had a way to get around. She also wasn't a fan of a sixty-five year old rich pervert marrying her forty-three year old mother.

She sighed, looking in the mirror again, practicing her bitch face one last time. Taylor wasn't into hockey like Dean was, or smashing people into lockers, but she did like the fact that people feared her. At her old school, she had been the Queen Bitch of her sophomore class and now that she was a Junior, she knew she'd be able to rule Eden Hall in a heartbeat.

She opened the door and slid her legs out onto the pavement. She stood up, making sure her short skirt stayed flat, and snapped into a haughty pose, holding it for a moment to make sure that everyone around her got a chance to look at her.

With a flip of her long blond hair, she made her way into Eden Hall, with the attention of every male and female on her. She smirked as she heard the comments, almost the same she had heard when she'd gone to her last school.

"Did you see that bag she was holding?"

"I'd fuck that in a second."

"Who _is _she?"

Smiling proudly, she made her way past the rich snobs and headed to the dorms to find her brother.

* * *

Dean Portman sat in his dorm, which he shared with his best friend, Fulton Reed, as he continued lifting the few weights he was able to fit in the small room. Working out was just about the only thing he could to take his mind off things that were bothering him… things like Julie Gaffney.

He had liked her since the first time they saw each other and had thought that when he came back to Minneapolis, the two of them would be together. Unfortunately for Dean, she already had a boyfriend, Scooter Vanderbilt, who she had been with since their freshman year and Dean was starting to realize he had lost his shot with her when he left.

There was a soft knock on his door and he groaned loudly, setting his weights down and walking over to open it.

"Hi, Big Brother!" The young blond said. He smiled, seeing his younger sister, Taylor. She was a tiny ball of energy and could always make him smile. Though they didn't share the same father, Dean and Taylor were as close as siblings could get so he was happy that she was finally coming to Eden Hall.

He reached down and hugged her but she pushed him away.

"Ew, you're all sweaty!" She grimaced and he laughed. "Do you know how much _Richard _paid for these clothes?"

Dean rolled his eyes. "Who cares about that old bat?" He said and she laughed. "So, how 'bout you? You all moved in yet?"

"Um, not really, my bags are kinda still in my car," She shrugged and he sighed. "What? Did you really think I was going to carry all of those in myself? My dorm's halfway across from the parking lot!"

"I suppose you want _me _to bring them in for you?" He asked and she smiled, innocently.

"It would really help and you would be the _best _big brother ever!" She said and he laughed.

"I already am the best brother ever." He informed her and she nodded.

"So, um, how ya been, Dean?" She asked him and he looked at her. "With the whole Julie thing…"

Dean groaned. Taylor and their mother were exactly alike; they always had to get in his business. He loved his mother and sister to death but he wished they would stay out of his love life. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"Aw, come on, Deanie," She pouted, walking over to him. "I don't like seeing you sad."

"I'm not sad!" He protested. "Julie and I have been over for a while; I'm okay with that, really." She gave him a look and he sighed. "How 'bout those bags, huh?" He said, walking out of the dorm.

She rolled her eyes and followed him out into the parking lot. Taylor hated seeing her brother hurting and she knew what she had to do to make him happy again… break up Julie and Scooter.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Taylor plopped down onto her bed in her new dorm. Dean had helped her bring in all her boxes but she had done most of the unpacking. She noticed another bed, that had clearly been used, and a wall full of pictures.

She stood up from her bed and walked over to it. There were tons of pictures of a beautiful brunette and a bunch of her friends. Most of them were guys but Taylor had no problem with that. She noticed Dean in a few of them and other guys from his hockey team that Taylor had met before but two of the guys were in the pictures more than the other.

One had brown hair and Taylor recognized him as Charlie Conway, Dean's Capitan. In almost every picture, he had his arm around the girl and they looked really happy together. The other one had light blond hair and blue eyes and was kissing the girl in most of them.

Taylor heard the door open and she jumped, turning around.

"I'm sorry!" The brunette from the pictures said. "I didn't mean to scare you, you must be my new roommate!"

"Yeah," Taylor nodded. "I'm Taylor, Taylor Portman." She said, extended her hand.

"Oh, you're Dean's little sister!" She said and Taylor nodded. "You know what? I think we've met before, at the Goodwill Games! You were young though, so if you don't remember…" The girl trailed when Taylor stared blankly at her. "Well, anyways, I'm Connie Moreau, your new roommate!"

"Nice to meet you." Taylor smiled. "So, uh, that's quite a collection you got over there." She said, pointing to the wall as she sat on her bed.

"Oh, yeah, I guess our team likes taking pictures," Connie laughed, sitting on her own.

"So, the blond one's your boyfriend, right?" Taylor asked and Connie looked up at her. "Just making sure, I kind of have a reputation of hooking up with girls' boyfriends, but I mean, it's not my fault they don't _tell _me who they're dating." She shook her head and Connie stared at her, wide-eyed. "oh God, I'm totally kidding, you know that, right?"

Connie sighed. "Sorry," She laughed. "I'm kind of really gullible," She said and Taylor nodded. "But yes, Guy is my boyfriend."

"Cool," Taylor nodded. "You guys are pretty cute together," She said and Connie smiled. "How long have you been together?"

"For forever… literally," Connie groaned and Taylor raised an eyebrow. "We've been together ever since the sand box days!"

"Wow, that's… amazing. I don't think I could ever be with someone for _that _long," She said. "Especially not at this age."

"Yeah, I mean, I love Guy, I really do but it's just not exciting anymore," She explained, getting lost in her own words. "I guess I just don't know if…" She looked up at Taylor and snapped out of it. "Sorry, I don't know why I'm telling you all of this."

"It's okay," Taylor smiled. "We're roomies now, we should tell each other stuff," She said and Connie nodded. "You can trust me, I have a _lot _of experience with relationships."

"Really?" Connie asked, skeptically.

"Mhm," Taylor nodded, pulling out a notebook, each page filled with writing and a picture of a boy. "This is a notebook of every guy I've ever dated," She said and Connie's jaw dropped. "It's not much but hey, I'm only sixteen!" She said and Connie flipped through the pages.

"Why do you keep all these?"

"I don't know," Taylor shrugged. "It's just… kinda my thing."

Connie laughed and they continued looking through the notebook. "Ou, this one's really cute!" Connie exclaimed and the girls giggled.

* * *

The next day, Taylor was called to the Science department to meet with her Chemistry teacher so they can talk about her switching into his class. Taylor needed to be placed in every advanced class so she can further her chances of getting into Harvard, which had always been her dream school.

She walked in and stopped when she saw the boy from Connie's pictures with a girl… who wasn't Connie.

"Guy!" The brunette giggled. "Stop it, we need to _focus!_" She said and Guy laughed. "If you want me to continue tutoring you then you're going to have to take this seriously."

"I am, Linda," Guy said, looking at the girl, apparently named Linda. "It's just so hard not to get distracted by you." He said and Taylor rolled her eyes. _How utterly cheesy. _

Linda didn't seem to think so because her cheeks had turned bright red. They turned even redder, if that was even possible, when he brushed a piece of hair out of her face.

Taylor cleared her throat and the pair jumped, looking in her direction.

"Sorry to interrupt," Taylor said, with a smile. "Guy, is it?" She said and Guy nodded. "Have you seen Mr. Turner?"

"No, he left for the day." Linda said, her arms crossed over her chest as she glared at Taylor.

"Okay, carry on," Taylor said, happily, as she spun around on her heel. She turned around once more. "Oh, I forgot to mention… Guy?" She said and Guy looked up at her. "Connie says hello."

And with that, she walked out, almost _hearing _their jaws dropping. Taylor then decided that she was going to do everything she could to get Connie to break up with Guy, the girl deserved much better than that.

She turned the corner and immediately collided into another body.

"Jeez, watch where you're going!" She shouted, dropping to the floor to pick up her books. The person she had bumped into did the same but she glared at him. "I can do it on my own, thanks." She said, angrily.

The boy continued helping her anyway and when they both stood up, Taylor found herself speechless for the first time in her entire life. He was cute, _really _cute and amazingly deep blue eyes. She had to catch her breath before she could snap back into reality.

"Sorry," The boy said, with a polite smile.

"Uh, it's okay, I was being clumsy," She said and he smiled again. _Totally melt-worthy. Ugh, what? Pull yourself together, Tay! _

She ended her inner conflict and smiled at the boy.

"I'm Adam Banks." He said, extending his hand.

She smiled and reached out to shake it. _Adam Banks, Adam Banks… where do you know that name from? OH! Goodwill Games! He's Dean's friend! Okay, Taylor, stop talking to yourself and say something! _

"I know you!" She spat and he looked at her. She laughed, nervously. "I mean, um, we've met before, at the Goodwill Games… I'm Taylor Portman."

"What? No way!" He said, surprised. "I, uh… you've changed."

She smiled. "Yeah, people tend to do that over the years."

He laughed. "So, you're at Eden Hall now?" He asked and she nodded. "How come?"

"Oh, because my mother married a rich guy and now Dean and I can actually afford a decent education!" She said, sarcastically and he laughed. "Yes, I have issues with my mother… deal with it!"

He smiled. "I think everyone who goes to Eden Hall has issues with their parents."

"Oh yeah? Even preppy snobs like you?" She teased and he smirked.

"Yes, rich people have problems too." He informed her and she nodded.

"I would have never guessed!" She joked and he gave her that melt-worthy smile again. The bell rang and the two of them got separated by the crowds of people but for the rest of the day, all Taylor could think about was Adam Banks.


	2. The Plan

**A/N: Thanks to those who reviewed! I really hope more people like this story because I'm getting really into it and will be updated frequently! Just wanted to let you know that Friday I will be leaving to go out of the country for 2 weeks and I'm not sure how much I'll be able to update while I'm gone. I will try my best to update as much as possible before I leave and while I'm gone. Hope you all like this chapter, keep the reviews coming!**

* * *

The next day, Taylor and Connie were walking around the school together, Connie was showing Taylor where all her classes were.

"I'm so happy we have lunch together!" Connie said, happily and Taylor smiled. "Have you met the rest of the Ducks yet?"

"Well, I know some of them from when they visited Dean, but not all of them." Taylor told her and Connie nodded. Taylor spotted the boy she recognized as Charlie walking over to them.

"Hey, Cons," He said and Connie turned around.

"Charlie!" She smiled. "Hey!"

"Have you seen Linda?" Charlie asked and Connie shook her head.

"I saw her in the Science lab before." Taylor lied. _Whatever, she's probably in there with Guy anyways! _

"Oh, okay, thanks," Charlie nodded. "Hey, you're Dean's sister, right?" Taylor nodded. "I'm Charlie, Captain of the Ducks." He said, extending his arm to shake her hand.

"I'm Taylor." She smiled, shaking his hand.

He nodded and turned to Connie. "So, Cons, I was wondering," He said and Connie looked at him. "My mom misses you and she wanted to know if you could come over for dinner tonight?"

Connie held back a blush. "Oh, Charlie, I'd love to!" She said and Charlie hugged her.

"I'll see you two around!" He said, jogging off.

Connie giggled and Taylor gave her a look. "What?"

"Do you like Charlie?" Taylor asked her and Connie's eyes widened.

"Why would you say that? I'm dating Guy!" Connie told her and Taylor laughed.

"That doesn't really answer my question," Taylor winked and Connie sighed.

"We're just friends, okay? We've been best friends since forever! Longer than Guy and I have been together, so there's _nothing _going on between us." Connie told her and Taylor nodded. The bell rang and Connie groaned. "I gotta go, I'll see you at lunch?"

She nodded and Connie walked away as Taylor marked getting Charlie and Connie together as her third project.

* * *

Later that day, Taylor walked into her Calculus class and sighed when she saw that the only seat available was next to Adam. The bell rang and she dreadfully walked over and sat next to him.

"You are aware that this is a Senior class, right?" Adam asked and she looked at him. "A Senior AP class, actually."

"Yes, I'm aware," She glared at him. "I'm supposed to be here, don't worry."

"Why are you taking AP classes?" He asked and she looked at him.

"Not that it's any of _your _business," She said. "But I need to have good grades if I want to get into Harvard."

"Harvard, huh?" He said and she nodded. "Aiming pretty high there, aren't we?"

"Well, I want to become a lawyer and Harvard's my best bet." She informed him as she took out her notebook.

"Well, you've definitely got the skills for it." He told her and she held back a smile.

"What about you?" She asked him. "I know the Ducks need to keep their scholarships but aren't your rich parents paying for you to stay here?"

"Ouch," He said, faking a wince. She rolled her eyes and he laughed. "Well, if I don't keep my grades up then I don't get to play and if I don't play…"

"Okay," She nodded. "But why not just take regular classes then?"

"My mom," He shook her head. "My dad really couldn't care less as long as I get to play hockey but my mom wants me to get good grades or she won't _let _me play."

"Right," She nodded and turned back to the board to continue copying down her notes.

"I'm probably boring you, aren't I?" He said and she looked at him, smiling.

"Well, it's not like I have anything better to do," She said, pointing at the board and he laughed. "So, keep talking, preppy." She told him and he smiled as they continued their conversation.

* * *

It was finally lunch time and Taylor walked into the cafeteria, searching the crowds for her brother or Connie but neither were to be found. She spotted Charlie and decided she'd go sit with him but stopped when she saw Linda a couple of tables away. Taylor smirked, this was the perfect opportunity to break them up and get them with the people they were meant to be with.

She pulled her shirt a little lower, showing some cleavage and walked over to Charlie's table.

"Hi, Charlie," She said, smiling brightly.

Charlie looked up at her and his eyes widened, clearly spotting her cleavage. He shook his head and looked back up at her.

"Uh, hey Taylor," he said, with a nervous smile.

"Can I sit here?" She asked him and he nodded. She smiled and sat down. "So, being a Captain must be pretty cool, huh?"

"Uh, yeah… it is." He said, staring at her. Taylor had to hold back a laugh; she loved when boys were trying not to drool over her.

"It must be a pretty big responsibility," She said and he nodded. "You probably wouldn't have time to hang out with me… would you?"

Charlie swallowed. "Uh… no, of course I would!" he said and she smiled.

"Good," She said, leaning towards him. "Because I think you and I could be _very_ good friends."

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Taylor back away and looked up, seeing Linda standing at the end of the table, furious.

"I was just talking to Charlie," Taylor said, standing up. "And who are you?"

"I'm Linda, Charlie's _girlfriend_." Linda said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Really?" Taylor said, looking at Linda up and down. "Funny, he didn't mention you at all!"

Linda narrowed her eyes at her and was about to hit her but Charlie stood up and stopped her.

"Linda, we were just talking." He promised but Linda shook her head.

"Whatever, Charlie," She sighed and walked away. Charlie ran after her.

Taylor smiled, satisfied, when she saw them fighting. This was going to be a little too easy.


	3. The Hook Up

**A/N: Another chapter! Like I said, I do have the first five chapters written but I still need to edit and fine tune them before I upload them here. I know it kinda seems like things are moving quickly but it's not going to be a very long story anyways so, yeah. I hope you all are liking this and thanks so much for reviewing! **

* * *

The next morning, Taylor scouted the halls for Charlie. She knew her plan to get him and Connie together needed to be set in motion as soon as possible and she had the perfect way to do it.

"Charlie!" She shouted, spotting him in the halls. She ran over to him. "How are you?"

He blinked, staring at her. Taylor held back a laugh. "Uh," He shook his head. "I'm great, how about you?"

"I'm good," She nodded. "So, I was wondering if you wanted to come to my dorm and watch a movie tonight?" She asked, her hand moving up his chest. Charlie took a deep breath. "I mean, you seem like a really cool guy and I'd love to hang out with you."

"I don't think I should," He said and she pouted. "I want to, trust me, but Linda… well, she's still pretty upset from yesterday."

Taylor smirked and brought her mouth to his ear. "Well, Linda doesn't have to know, does she?" She whispered and then pulled away.

"I'll see you tonight." He said, with a goofy grin on his face. She nodded and he walked off. She grinned and turned around, seeing Connie, she stopped.

"What was that all about?" Connie asked, seemingly jealous.

"He was looking for Linda again," Taylor lied. "Poor guy…"

"Poor guy?" Connie questioned and Taylor nodded.

"Look, I didn't want to be the one to tell you this but, I think Linda and Guy have been spending just a _little _too much time together." She said and Connie raised an eyebrow.

"Well, yeah, Linda's tutoring him because he's horrible in Chemistry." Connie defended.

"Oh, they're _definitely _testing out chemistry, if you know what I mean," Taylor said and Connie lowered her eyes. Taylor wrapped an arm around her shoulder as they walked through the halls. "You can do so much better than him, hon," She told her. "And so can Charlie, which is why I invited him to watch a movie tonight." She said and Connie looked up at her. "You'll be able to leave the dorm for a few hours, right?"

"You and Charlie?" Connie said, baffled.

"Yes, is there a problem?" Taylor asked, holding back a smirk.

"No, no, of course not!" Connie said. "I just didn't think he was your type… and besides, he has a girlfriend."

"Well, surprisingly his rugged good looks and those adorable dimples of his totally won me over," She said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "And by the looks of things, I don't think she'll be his girlfriend for much longer, maybe you should talk to Guy." Taylor advised and the bell rang. "Gotta go, see ya!" She said and walked towards the Gym, sighing because she hated having P.E first period.

She walked into the Gym, her heels clanking on the floor and groaned when she saw Adam standing among a group of other boys.

"Seriously? This is a co-ed Gym class?" She whined, loudly and Adam walked over to her.

"What?" He laughed. "You afraid to look bad in front of the guys?"

"Uh, no," She said, raising an eyebrow. "I intend on making the _guys _look bad." She said, with a smile and he nodded.

"Well, we _are _running a mile today and those heels should really help get you in first place!" He teased and she glared at him.

"I haven't changed yet, you dork." She said and he smiled. "Be right back!" She said, and quickly changed in the locker rooms. A few minutes later, she came out in a tight tank top and short shorts, with running shoes on.

Adam blinked as she walked over to him, and she laughed. "What's a matter?" She asked and he looked up at her. "Never seen a hot, half-naked girl before, preppy?"

"You think quite highly of yourself, don't you?" He said and she shrugged, with a smile. "Just take your mark." He said, as they walked to the track and took their places.

They started jogging and Adam was impressed with her speed and how determined she was to beat him but he ended up crossing the finish line first… but Taylor was not too far behind.

"I guess I'll have to prove myself next time." She said, as they headed over to the benches.

"Or you can prove yourself tonight," He said and she stopped to look at him. "There's this huge park near my house with a lake, we could take a jog there? It's really nice at night."

Taylor swallowed. The one thing she hated about relationships was rejecting someone, unless it was to get that person with someone else but in this case, she would have _loved _to spend the night hanging out with Adam, but she knew she couldn't.

"I wish I could," She said and he looked down. "But I kind of have a date tonight."

He looked up at her. "I should've known you'd have a Senior wrapped around your finger in no time," He teased and she nodded, awkwardly. "Anyone I know?"

"Uh, yeah, your best friend, actually," She told him and he raised an eyebrow.

"You're going on a date with Charlie? Charlie Conway?" He asked and she nodded. "You do know he has a girlfriend, right?"

"Yes, I know," She rolled her eyes. "But that's never stopped me before." She winked and he sighed. The teacher blew the whistle, indicating it was time to get changed. "See you later!" She said and jogged over to the locker rooms.

"Yeah," Adam nodded, and kicked the dirt in front of him.

* * *

Later that night, Taylor and Charlie sat in her dorm, preparing to watch the movie.

"So, listen, I kind of told you a little white lie to get you to come here." She told him and he looked at her.

"What, you don't own a copy of the _Titanic_?" He asked and she looked at him. "It's okay, really, we can watch something else."

"No, it's not that," She shook her head and he looked around. "I don't really own a t.v." She said, innocently and he raised an eyebrow. "I just wanted you to come over here so we could hang out." She shrugged and he smiled.

"That's pretty adorable, you know?" He said and she blushed. "So, what do you wanna do instead?" He asked and she turned down the lights then pushed him onto her bed. "Whoa," He quickly said as she climbed on top of him, kissing his neck. He tried hard to resist her but found his hands at her waist and his lips to hers. She reached for his belt buckle but he knew he had to stop so he pulled away. "I'm sorry, Taylor, I can't do this."

She nodded and stood up, things weren't going as planned but she would have to improvise. They walked to the door and he leaned against the doorway.

"Look, I'm sorry, I probably made a fool of myself," She said, shaking her head.

"No, I'm the fool," He said and she looked up at him. "Turning you down is probably something I'm going to regret for the rest of my life," He said and she laughed. "But I love Linda, and I don't want to cheat on her."

She nodded and out of the corner of her eye spotted Linda walking down the halls. She smirked. "Well, since you totally just broke my heart," She joked and he laughed. "Can I get a goodnight kiss?" She asked him and he looked at her. "Just a peck, I promise."

He smiled. "Sure," He said and gave her a quick peck but as Linda approached them, Taylor pulled him into a real, passionate kiss. She opened one eye and saw Linda walking towards them furiously.

"Charlie Conway!" She shouted and yanked him away from Taylor. "What the hell was that?"

"It was nothing, Linda; it's not what it looks like!" He promised but Linda wouldn't hear it.

"I don't ever want to see you again, Charlie Conway!" Linda declared. "We're done!" She said, and walked away.

Charlie furiously turned to Taylor and glared at her. "You did that on purpose, you _knew _she was coming!" He shouted and Taylor shrugged. "Thanks a lot, really." He said and walked down the opposite direction.

"Connie's studying in the library if you need a shoulder to cry on!" Taylor told him and walked back into her dorm with a huge smile on her face.


	4. The Favor

**A/N:** Okay, so HOW long as it been since I've updated this fic? I'm so sorry it's taken me forever, guys...I guess I lost my inspiration for this one but now, for some reason, have gotten it back! I hope there are still some of you reading out there...please review!

* * *

The next morning, Taylor woke up happy. Connie hadn't returned to their dorm until late and was gone when Taylor woke up this morning, clearly she wanted to spend as much time with Charlie as possible.

Taylor heard a few loud, hard knocks and she frowned. She got up to opened the door and Dean stormed it.

"What the hell happened with Charlie last night?" He asked, furiously and she looked at him.

"Deanie, I love that you're being a protective older brother but what I do with boys is none of your business." She smiled and he glared at her.

"Like hell it isn't! He snapped and she looked at him. "This isn't Chicago, Tay, you can't just do whatever you want and expect me to turn a blind eye."

"What, am I ruining your rep or something?" She asked and he looked at her. "Then what are you so worried about? We just kissed, that's all."

"He has a girlfriend, Taylor!" Dean shouted. "Or, _had _a girlfriend, who he _loved_! And you messed it up! Why?"

"Because I thought Charlie was cute and he was clearly unhappy with Linda so I just sped up their break up," Taylor shrugged and Dean rolled his eyes.

"You can't do this, Taylor. You can't play matchmaker, not here," He told her and she looked up at him. "You need to let people deal with their love lives on their own."

"Right, like you're 'dealing' with Julie?" She questioned and he looked at her.

"Julie has nothing to do with this," He said and she rolled her eyes. "But this behavior, it ends now or I swear I will have you one the first flight back home in a heartbeat."

"Fine, whatever." She said, crossing her arms over her chest.

He sighed. "I'm not trying to control you, Tay, I just don't want to see you get hurt," He told her and she nodded. "And what did you promise me before we got here?"

"No drama, I know," She rolled her eyes and he smiled, walking over to her.

"I'll see you later, okay?" He said and she nodded as he kissed her forehead. "Be good." He said and walked out.

Taylor sighed and fell back onto her bed.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Taylor walked out of English class and bumped into Charlie. They shared an awkward stare and Charlie was about to walk away until Taylor stopped him.

"Charlie, I'm so sorry for last night," She told him and he looked at her. "I don't even know why I did it, I wasn't thinking clearly."

"It's okay," He nodded. "You helped me realize that Linda and I should've broken up a long time ago because we just aren't right for each other."

She smiled. "And you found someone who is?" She asked, hopeful.

"I think so." He smiled.

"Just to be clear," She said. "It's not me, right?"

"No," He laughed, shaking his head and she sighed, relieved.

"Well, go on, go find Connie and tell her how you feel!" She winked and he looked at her curiously.

"How did you know?" He asked and she shrugged, smiling. "Thanks," He said, and ran off.

Taylor smiled and the bell rang as she walked into Calculus. She happily walked over to Adam and sat next to him.

"Hey stranger," She said but he didn't even looked at her. "What? No sarcastic comment today?"

"I guess I'm still recovering from the news I heard this morning," He said, finally looking at her. Taylor raised an eyebrow at the look on his face, a mix of anger and hurt. "About you and Charlie."

"Oh," She giggled. "How have so many people heard about that already?" She asked, flipping open her notebook.

"I'm glad you think it's funny." He said, sharply and she looked at him. "Do you like screwing up relationships?"

"I didn't, okay?" She told him. "I just saw that the both of them were unhappy and clearly interested in other people so I helped them find their way out."

"I'm sure that's what you want people to believe," He said and she sighed.

"Adam, it's not like that!" She promised. "You can't be mad at me."

"Why? It's not like you'd even miss a preppy snob like me, right?" He said and she swallowed. He turned back to look at the board and they didn't talk for the rest of the class.

* * *

Later, at lunch, Taylor couldn't find Connie or Dean so she walked over to the Duck table and sat with Dean's best friend, Fulton.

"Hey, Fult," She smiled and he looked at her as she sat down. She had known Fulton since she was ten years old and his size still intimidated her, but Fulton definitely wasn't scary today, he just looked… sad. "Are you okay?" She asked and he shook his head.

"It's her," He sighed, looking up across the room.

Taylor followed his stare to see Tammy Duncan, Fulton's long time crush, all over another guy.

"Isn't that the hot Spanish guy on your team?" Taylor questioned and Fulton nodded.

"Luis Mendoza," He sighed. "They started dating a couple of weeks ago."

Taylor frowned and looked at him. "Aw, Fult, I'm sorry," She told him and still couldn't believe that a guy like Fulton was feeling any form of sadness over a girl. "If she can't see what a great guy you are, then she's not worth it."

"No, Taylor, you don't understand…" He trailed and then looked up at her, his big blue eyes staring into hers. "She's the one."

Taylor nodded and decided she would make Tammy and Fulton getting together her last project for the year. Dean wouldn't be too angry if Taylor helped his best friend be happy, right?

* * *

Classes were finally over and Taylor returned to her dorm, surprised to see Connie.

"Hey, roomie," She smiled and Connie looked at her. "I thought you'd be busy with your new boyfriend." She winked and Connie glared at her.

"Now isn't a time for jokes, Taylor." Connie snapped and the blond looked at her.

"Oh, come on, you can't be mad at me too!" She said and Connie looked away. "I did it for you! Because I knew how much you liked him and guys like Charlie… they don't break up with girls like Linda without a little push! I just wanted you two to be happy together…"

Connie looked at her and sighed. "Well, he _does _want to hang out tonight and he seemed really excited about it," She told her and Taylor smiled, knowing why. "Okay, you're forgiven."

"Yay!" Taylor said and hugged her. "Okay, so I have a little favor to ask you," She said and Connie raised an eyebrow at her. "You know how Halloween is coming up, right?" She said and Connie nodded. "Well, I was wondering if we could have a party at your place. It would be so beyond cool!"

"Well, my parents are out of town that weekend…" She trailed and Taylor's face lit up. "I guess _not _having a party is out of the question."

Taylor shrieked. "Ah, you're the best!" She said and hugged her again. "You don't have to worry about _anything, _I'll plan everything!" She said and pulled out a notepad, scribbling down things she would need to buy.


	5. The Party

**A/N: **Hey guys, here's the next one! It's a little intense and you'll probably hate Taylor but... she's a good girl at heart, I promise. Keep reviewing!

* * *

About two weeks later, things were looking good for Taylor. She was still the most sought after and popular girl in school, and her matchmaking plans were working out perfectly.

Connie and Guy had broken up when she caught him with Linda, sending her straight into Charlie's arms and they were now a couple. Taylor was proud of herself. Now all she had to do was get Fulton with Tammy and Dean with Julie. She figured it wouldn't be too hard, especially with her and Connie's Halloween party coming up.

It was the day of the party and Taylor had one thing left to do to make everything perfect; get Adam to forgive her. He still hadn't spoken more than two words to her since her stunt with Charlie and she was realizing that she missed him… _a lot._

She spotted him at his locker and took a deep breath as she marched up to him.

"Adam," she said and he looked at her, a little surprised that she was talking to him. "Look, I know I messed up with Charlie but… you _have _to forgive me!"

"Oh, really?" He asked, laughing and she nodded. "And why is that?"

"Because," she said, trying to quickly come up with a reason. He folded his arms over his chest and looked at her, amused. "We need to be on speaking terms since we're going to be sitting next to each other in AP English and Calculus," she continued and he laughed. "And let's not forget, who will you challenge to run a mile with you in Gym class? Definitely not one of those prissy little snobby bitches!"

He laughed. "You're going to make a very convincing lawyer someday, you know that?" he asked and she smiled. "I guess I can forgive you…"

"Yay!" She squealed. "So, you're coming to my party tonight then?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," he smiled and she blushed, hugging him.

"Don't forget," she said, pulling away. "It's a _costume _party, so you better dress up!" She informed him and he nodded. She smiled and walked away.

* * *

At the party that night, people were already starting to show up in outfits that Taylor would classify as satisfying. The girls were wearing costumes from sexy pirate to French maid and the boys were either matching their dates or wearing facemasks. Taylor, on the other hand, wore a very sultry nurse costume that showed off her curves and just the right amount of cleavage.

Taylor had already set her sights on Luis, knowing that it would be normal to hook up with him in front of Tammy, sending her into the arms of Fulton for comfort.

After getting a drink from the keg she turned around and laughed when she saw Adam in front of her, wearing a doctor's costume.

"Look at that," she smiled, looking at him up and down. "We match! Did you plan this, Banksie?"

He laughed. "No, I definitely did not!" He told her. "I've been a doctor for the past couple of years so I think _you _had something to do with this, Ms. Portman."

She gasped. "I did not!" She winked.

He smiled. "Well, you do look quite beautiful," he nodded and she held back a blush. "Save me a dance?"

She looked at him and swallowed. This was the scary part. She thoroughly enjoyed her and Adam's flirty banter but when it got like this, Taylor just wanted to back out and run for the hills.

She looked over to the keg and saw a shirtless Luis making his own drinks, alone. She knew this would be the only time she'd be able to talk to him without Tammy in the way. She sighed and looked back at Adam.

"Yeah, sure, later," she nodded. "I'll be right back!" She said and walked off.

She felt back for just ditching him like that but she knew that breaking up Luis and Tammy was far more important. She hated seeing Fulton sad and knowing that he and Tammy had feelings for each other but were both too stubborn to admit it was killing her.

She cleared her throat and he turned around. His eyes widened a little as he was clearly checking her out. She smiled at him, knowing he'd definitely forgotten all about Tammy by now.

"Do you mind getting me a drink?" She asked and he swallowed, still staring at her figure. "I don't really know how to work the keg," she shrugged but it was obviously a lie. She knew guys like Luis easily fell for ditzy girls.

"Of course," he nodded, smoothly took a plastic cup from the table, as they both walked over to the keg. "So, um, why don't I know you?"

She laughed. I'm new here," she told him and he nodded. "But maybe if you weren't so… _involved _with Tammy Duncan, you would've gotten to know me sooner," She said, putting her hand on his chest, dragging it up to his neck.

Luis had to catch his breath. He wasn't used to girls being like this around him. Sure, the girls came to him, there was no doubt about it but talking to Taylor was almost like talking to the female version of himself… and he liked it.

"I'm not _involved,_" he shook his head and she raised an eyebrow. "Okay, maybe a little…"

"Well, that's too bad then," she said, taking her drink. "I was totally into you," she went to walk away but he grabbed her arm.

"Wait!" He said and she looked at him. "I won't tell if you won't?"

Taylor smirked. This was way too easy. She nodded and took his hand, leading him upstairs to the bedrooms. She made sure she walked a little slower so that some of the party goers would catch onto what they were about to do.

She heard the gasps and the whispers and though Luis was too wasted to care, it really bothered Taylor. She didn't want her entire school thinking she was a slut but… she knew what she had to do.

They walked into the first bedroom and Taylor _accidently _left the door open. Luis started kissing her neck and she played along, running her hands all over him. She'd been in an almost sexual relationship before so she semi-knew what she was doing. Though, she hoped a crowd would start to form soon so she wouldn't have to go _too _far with him.

Much to Taylor's comfort, a crowd finally started to form around the door, watching Taylor and Luis' drunken make out session. She knew she had to keep it cool until Tammy showed up but Taylor was starting to feel completely grossed out. Luis was hot and she was attracted to him but she didn't like that he was basically groping her in front of her entire school.

_Someone get Tammy… NOW! _

"What the _fuck_?"

Luis practically jumped away from Taylor upon hearing his girlfriend's voice. The tall, very angry blond walked over to him and slapped him hard across the face.

"You asshole!" She shouted and he looked at her. "We're _done_!"

Taylor breathed a sigh of relief and stood up to leave but Tammy grabbed her and shoved her back in the room.

"Get off me!" Taylor shrieked, wriggling free out of the figure skater's firm grasp.

"You little slut!" Tammy shouted and Taylor's eyes widened. "Who the hell do you think you are?" She demanded but Taylor just stood there. Tammy grew more furious and slapped her too.

Taylor was shocked as she held her face. She had been in fights with girls before but they had _never _gotten physical.

"Tammy, I…" she trailed nervously and looked around the room. Everyone was staring at her, mostly laughing. Taylor felt like a complete, utter fool.

"Get the hell out!" Tammy shouted and Taylor ran downstairs, tears streaming down her face. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen! Tammy wasn't supposed to be hurt over Luis cheating on her because… because she really only loved Fulton and was with Luis to make him jealous!

She was on her way out when she bumped into Adam. She looked at him, horrified because she could tell that he knew what she had just done.

The look on his face sent so many emotions towards her… hurt, sadness, confusion and a little bit of hatred. Taylor swallowed and he shook his head, walking away.

Taylor sighed and turned around to go to the front door but Dean appeared in front of her.

"What the hell, Taylor?" He asked, angrily.

"Dean, I really don't need to be yelled at in public for the second time tonight…" She trailed.

"I don't care what you need!" He shouted and she looked at him. She had never seen him this angry with her before. "I gave you a second chance and you completely blew it!" He shouted and she lowered her eyes. "I've had enough; I'm calling Mom tomorrow and getting you on the first plane to Chicago."

"No, Dean, please don't!" She begged.

"Let's go, _now_." He said, dragging her out of the house and to his car.

She was silent the whole ride home and ran out of the car, into her dorm without a word. She finally made it to her bed and cried herself to sleep.


End file.
